On the Wings of Light and Dark (Resurrection)
by brawlingwolf
Summary: The reprieve for peace after the defeat of Hades was short-lived, and Pit barely has a chance to lick his wounds before being thrust back into battle to protect the mortal world. The Underworld is holding nothing back as reapers ruthlessly harvest human souls, and Pit is determined to find out why and who is giving the orders. But this time, he won't be alone. REWRITE.
1. Thread of Fate

Such an interesting chain of events: Hades has lost his physical form and lacked the strength to immediately create a new one. Medusa has been destroyed, and in her absence, the spirit of darkness has grown stronger. The creature created by Mastema has been reduced to ash and banished. Skyworld is stronger than ever before, not because of its army, but solely due to the angel.

He has performed admirably and beyond expectations. Mishael fell to Underworld forces and Leale to Medusa and Hades themselves. Pit, however, with Palutena's blessings, has stood fast and soundly defeated both. His loyalty, compassion, and skill have all proved incomparable.

Even more fascinating is his relationship regarding his reflection. The doppelgänger was never meant to exist, and his presence grants Pit further strength and power. He has not realized this quite yet, only understanding that they share a connection of some kind. If they can strengthen that connection, grow more powerful together, Pit may be just what the world needs. What we need.

With his slumbering potential and his doppelgänger as a failsafe, he could unite the immortal world. The danger he will soon face may be the perfect test for him and his dark reflection.

His loyalty and sense of justice will serve well.


	2. Chapter I: Only a Brief Reprieve

**Author's Note: **I've been looking forward to this for quite some time: A rewrite of _On the Wings of Light and Dark. _I plan on rewriting all four installments through _Revelation, Retribution, Rebirth_ to reflect my improvement as an author and to better the flow of plot points between installments.

As for you new folks, I hope you're ready for a wild ride. Happy reading!

* * *

The sun shone brightly over the floating islets of Skyworld, warming its rich green grasses, bubbling springs, and stunning marble architecture. About two weeks had passed since its champion had returned victorious over the lord of the Underworld, and the realm's denizens had celebrated his triumph. It had taken time, but Pit, as far as he could tell, had finally recovered from the battle, and thankfully, none of his injuries appeared permanent. His stamina and muscle fitness still had some catching up to do, and he'd about gone mad from being ordered to rest by his ruling goddess.

So, it had surprised him when she suddenly called him to her temple urgently. He made his way there as quick as his feet and wings would take him, running across the islets of his home and gliding between them as well as he could, catching the updrafts and riding them across. The Centurions standing guard outside the temple saluted him respectfully as he passed them less than gracefully, and he hurried through the stone and marble corridor until he reached the intricate double doors leading to the gate chamber.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lady Palutena!" He said as he knelt down before the raised platform she stood on. She turned away from the scouring fountain to face him, concern written all over her face.

"Don't worry, Pit. Come on up here." She waved her staff and a lift of light energy illuminated at the base of the platform. He hopped to his feet and stepped on it, and it quickly brought him to her side. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Can't complain!" He replied, standing up straight. She eyed him, and he slowly shrunk down again.

"Pit, I need you to be brutally honest with me right now." Her tone brought his mood down drastically. "How is your recovery going? Any lingering pain? Weakness?" He frowned.

"Uh…" he scratched his head. "I don't have quite as much energy, but I think that's just from being laid up for so long. Everything else has healed up pretty well as far as I know of." She glanced back to the scouring fountain, and he fidgeted. "Lady Palutena, what's going on?" She stepped to the side and gestured him forward, and he approached and looked into the fountain.

He found himself looking over a human town, which wasn't entirely unusual for Palutena to be looking in on. The cause for concern, however, was the sight of reapers and other Underworld monsters attacking the town and its inhabitants. He could vaguely hear screams and cries for help as smoke rose into the air, and Pit winced in horror as as many of those voices were suddenly cut short.

"What's going on?!" He demanded. "What are they doing there?"

"I don't know," Palutena admitted. "But the reapers are harvesting souls from the inhabitants. The monsters seem to be corralling them to make it easier." Pain crossed her face. "Pit, I know you want to leap into action and stop them, but I need you to think about your condition. Are you okay to go?" Her gaze on him softened. "I can't afford to lose you." He took a breath and put on a brave face.

"Lady Palutena, you are the humans' protector. It's my duty to follow your orders and aid you however I can, no matter what. I'm fine! I can handle a few Underworld minions." A sound from the fountain caught his attention, and he looked back into it to find a pair of humans actually fighting back somewhat successfully against the monsters. One was a woman with long blond hair wielding a short sword and shield. The other, a large man he recognized immediately.

"Magnus!" He yelped. The monsters took more and more interest in the duo, and the two were quickly becoming overwhelmed. "They need our help! And I kind of owe him a lot." He looked up to the goddess with fierce eyes. "Please, Lady Palutena. Let me go." She took a breath and nodded.

"Be careful, Pit." She held out her hand, revealing a ball of light, and as she touched it, it took the shape of a familiar bow. "Keep your stamina in mind, understood? Don't over exert yourself, or you won't be any help to anyone." He smiled as he took the bow and dipped his head.

"I'll be fine." He leapt off the platform and ran for the gate, and it creaked open as Palutena granted his wings the power of flight. Without hesitation, he dove into the air and took off toward the town. The wind whipped across his face and through his hair, and he couldn't help but grin.

"It's been too long since I flew!" He almost laughed.

"Only a couple of weeks," Palutena reminded him. "Focus, Pit. I got you close, but I doubt we'll be able to make it in without a welcoming party." As the plains and trees zipped by below him, he spotted a squadron of Monoeyes quickly approaching.

"Uh, yep. I've got company." He pulled back an arrow and took aim, and the shot sped through the air and struck the leading eyeball. It staggered, causing one behind it to run into it, and dissipated a moment later. Pit dodged around the return of fire and made short work of the rest of the group, and he scanned around for any other enemies.

"I don't understand," he said. "Why would Underworld monsters be attacking the Overworld? They're too dumb to mobilize on their own. Who could possibly be commanding them?"

"I wish I knew," Palutena lamented. "With Hades and Medusa gone, not to mention Thanatos and Pandora… who would be left to lead them?" She sighed. "I'll do what I can to find out. You just focus on the town." That same town quickly came into view, along with hoards of reapers and Underworld minions. Several took notice of the approaching angel, and he grit his teeth as a Beluka slowly ascended to meet him, surrounded by Monoeyes, Miks, and Syrens with Handoras on their backs.

"Good to be back," Pit muttered and focused energy into his bow. He thrust it skyward, and a rain of arrows fell on his opponents. The Monoeyes and Miks fell almost instantly, leaving him to deal with the rest.

"Hey, look who's out and about!" Another voice suddenly showed up in his head, and he almost missed his shot at a Syren. "Took you long enough, Palutena."

"And hello to you too, Viridi," the goddess of light said humorlessly.

"You're not behind this, are you?!" Pit demanded as he shot down a Handora, and it plummeted to the ground.

"Are you serious?!" Viridi scoffed. "Why would I want anything to do with these lowlifes? They totally clash with my aesthetic. Except the Souflees. They're so cute!" Pit dodged around a Syren's screech, but unfortunately ran right into a Handora's fire. He grunted and shook it off, and with some effort, he cleared the skies of adversaries and made a straight path for the town. He landed in a courtyard to the north and the power of flight faded from his wings. His presence, unfortunately, was immediately noticed by a nearby reaper, and he took off running as it flailed about and summoned its accompanying reapettes to go after him.

"Great," he grumbled and shot one out of existence, and he ducked as the others attempted to swarm him. He slashed one sword of the bow forth and made quick work of several of them, but others managed to slip past and charged him. He fought off the pain and finished the last few, and decided it was best not to tangle with the reaper until he assured the safety of Magnus and his companion.

"Are you okay, Pit?" Palutena asked as he headed down an alley.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Takes more than that to keep me down!"

"Well, more than that is waiting for you," she said. "This harvest is going at an alarming rate. I don't understand… even before, the Underworld rarely attacked the humans like this. Why now? What are they doing?"

"Beats me," Viridi said. "Try not to die, Pit. I'll keep an eye out for any other weird Underworld activity. But right now, I'll let you two deal with it." After a moment, she suddenly added, "Yes, I'm serious!"

"Okay, okay! We get it," Pit said curtly. As he turned a corner, he almost ran straight into a reaper, and it immediately swung its scythe at him. He leapt back and it barely missed shaving off his nose. Once he landed and rolled back to his feet, he fired a charged shot from his bow, though the reaper barely flinched. He swallowed as it rushed for him and ducked under its scythe, and he slashed a sword through it. The reaper stumbled back and reached for him, but a rather large hunk of metal came crashing down and eliminated it.

"Eh?" The humongous sword's owner stared at Pit. "Well, look who it is. Nice of you to finally show up, angel face." Pit grinned and approached him.

"Good to see you too, Magnus!" He said. "Uh… sorry about this." He gestured to the rapidly growing devastation around them. "We've got no idea why this is happening. I beat Hades, and that should have been the end of it, but…"

"Fight now, talk later," Magnus's companion interrupted. "If you're here to help us, then help us, Pit." Pit tilted his head curiously as something about this woman tickled his memory, and his eyes lit up as he recalled where he had met her before.

"Gaol!" He said excitedly. "Hey! Nice to see you again!" She gave him a slight smile as she turned to the approaching monsters.

"You too, angel. Now, if you're here to help, then help." She lifted her shield and readied her sword, and Magnus hefted his over his shoulders. Pit shot down a Monoeye and quickly positioned himself in front of the humans.

"Let me take point," he said quickly. "I can take a hit better than you guys." Magnus did not look amused, but neither of the humans argued. The angel flinched as he heard screams from somewhere in the town, and he tore forth and slashed his blades through a Skuttler nearby.

"Pit, you have to hurry!" Palutena's frantic voice sounded in his head. "If this goes on much longer, the entire area will face destruction."

"Well, yeah, I thought we established that when I got here," Pit replied curtly as he leapt back from a Ganewmede's fire, and Magnus smashed the monster to oblivion. Gaol, meanwhile, rushed another Skuttler and pierced through it with her sword, and it dissipated.

"She means a Death Incarnate," Viridi said. "They tend to form when there's a sudden huge loss of life- it feeds on the remaining life energy, causing even more casualties. It usually shows up during and after natural disasters, calamities, I'll even admit my Reset Bombs have attracted one or two before."

"But I've never seen one show up just because of reapers, but their harvesting is…" Palutena became lost for words. "All of this is out of control. We need answers immediately."

"Hey, angel!" Gaol suddenly snapped, and he whipped his head toward her to find her gesturing via her shield toward the center of town- or, more specifically, the air above it. "What are they doing?!" Pit watched, horrified, as the reapers began to gather above the center of town, the fruits of their harvest in tow. A strange aura, almost poisonous, spread through the area, and it took Pit's breath away. His human companions were fighting hard to stay standing, Magnus leaning on his sword and Gaol stumbling. Pit hurried over to them and scanned quickly over the remaining monsters, daring them to make a move. But to his surprise and concern, they began to retreat.

"Lady Palutena," he called. "What's happening?!"

"It's coming," she replied, horrified. "Pit, tell the humans to stay close to you. Now!"

"Uh…" He stammered. "Magnus, Gaol! Group up with me!" He found a spot relatively in the middle of the two, and neither human argued or asked for an explanation. They stumbled and limped over to him, and he lifted his bow as the sickening feeling in the air grew stronger, and a haze fell over the town.

A great blast of power suddenly exploded from the center of town, and just as it did, a barrier of light energy surrounded Pit and his companions. Smoke and debris came flying and struck it, but it held true, and Pit could only watch as the chaos around them ran its course. Gaol looked absolutely horrified as she glanced around, and Magnus looked downright angry.

"There it is…" Viridi suddenly said. "Unholy beast. Better get your chicken out of there, Palutena." Palutena didn't immediately respond, but as the smoke subsided, the barrier dissipated, and Pit coughed in the dust as he looked up toward the epicenter of the destruction. A strange, vaporous skull brimming with black tendrils of flame slowly rose above the remaining ruins of the buildings. Its eye sockets scanned the town hungrily, and its focus quickly zeroed in on the nearby humans and angel.

"Viridi may be right, Pit." Palutena sounded utterly defeated. "That thing is extremely dangerous. I can't afford to lose you now."

"But Lady Palutena!" Pit argued. "I can't just abandon them! And what about other survivors? That thing is going to hunt them all down! I can't let that happen!"

"What even IS that thing?" Magnus demanded, and Pit turned to him.

"Death Incarnate," he said. "I guess it's here to finish the job." Magnus, to his surprise, smirked and straightened up, lifting his massive sword.

"Not if we finish it first." He looked to his partner. "I can give it something to do. You get out of here, now."

"No way," Gaol almost smiled. "I'm not letting you hog all the glory." She turned her attention to Pit. "Well, angel? You with us or not?" He nodded and held up his bow.

"Definitely. I never back down from a challenge!"

"Just be careful, Pit," his goddess advised. "If I think you're in danger, I'm extracting you, okay?"

"I understand," he replied. "Thank you, Lady Palutena." He took off toward the center of town and the creature that waited there, Magnus and Gaol hot on his heels.

"Your funeral, Pit!" Viridi said. "Can't believe you're risking your neck for a handful of humans. It's just- Hey! Where do you think you're going?! Get back here!"

"Uh…" Pit was at a loss. He decided he'd worry about it later as he skidded around a corner, and as soon as he did, he found himself face to skull with the Death Incarnate, and the mere sight of it sent a shiver down his spine.

"All right, you steaming pile of-" Magnus finished the insult with a very impolite word. "Those Underworld freaks will pay for this later. But first, we pummel you back to the hole you crawled out of!"

"I know Magnus and Gaol are strong," Palutena said. "But even they won't stand much of a chance against this thing. Watch out for them, Pit."

"I will!" Pit replied quickly and shot a charged arrow at the skull, though it didn't appear to have much of an impact. Suddenly, a whip of energy snapped at him and knocked him back, and he grunted as he tucked to the side at the last moment to avoid landing on his wing. As he got back to his feet, he watched Gaol race in and slash her sword through their opponent, and it turned its attention to her. In its distraction, Magnus brought his own weapon down hard, and the Death Incarnate screeched angrily. Pit shoved off his back foot and fired another arrow, and this one managed to do a bit of damage. He ducked under the retaliation and slashed both blades of his bow through the tendril, severing it and causing it to vanish. He wasted no time in turning his attacks on the main body, or head, of the Incarnate, and it let out a low, irritated rumble.

With no other warning, a powerful wave of energy burst forth from the Incarnate, sending all three of its adversaries flying back, and Pit landed hard on his side, the wind knocked out of him. Accompanying this wave was dark, foul smoke that quickly enveloped the town center, and Pit could hear both Gaol and Magnus coughing and choking as it reached them. Pit tried to swallow his panic as he raised his voice, though it was raspy.

"Magnus, Gaol! Pull back! Find cover and get out of this stuff!" He coughed rather violently himself, but stayed standing and gripped his bow tightly as the Incarnate turned to him.

Then, from nowhere, a powerful shot struck the skull, and it howled as parts of its power faded. A streak of light shot across the sky with blinding speed, and it arched around toward the town center again. Pit dove to the ground as the light blew just over the town, and its momentum managed to blow away most of the smoke. Magnus and Gaol both looked near death, but not quite there yet. The Death Incarnate, meanwhile, looked absolutely disoriented, and once again, the streak of light circled back around and another shot hit the skull. Pit got to his feet and watched as the streak of light finally slowed down and dove into the town, and it came to a sudden stop a short distance away, and the angel blinked as he stared at the source: the Lightning Chariot. Phos and Lux snorted and scuffed the ground as the driver jumped off the chariot itself: A dark-winged angel with burning red eyes that bore a striking resemblance to Pit.

"Pittoo!" The lighter angel's face broke into a grin.

"Don't call me that," Dark Pit replied almost automatically as he hoisted his staff over his shoulders. He turned back to the unicorns. "Stay," he said firmly, then turned back to the Death Incarnate. "Fight first, talk later. Let's extinguish this thing." Pit nodded vigorously and looked up at the humans.

"Magnus, Gaol! Retreat and take cover. We'll handle this. You've done plenty!" Magnus had managed to reach Gaol and helped her up, and the hulking man nodded. The Death Incarnate, meanwhile, had collected itself and looked madder than ever.

Both of the angels took off on either side, and Pit fired a shot from his bow while Dark Pit did the same with his staff. The dark angel launched himself forward and hit the Incarnate hard with the handle of his staff. After several more attacks, the Incarnate started to look rather ragged, and the angels regrouped next to each other. Both took aim with their weapons.

"On three?" Pit asked, and his doppelgänger nodded. "One… two…" On three, both angels let fly a powerful shot that hit their mark, and the Death Incarnate let out a screech that made Pit's blood run cold. But it thrashed about briefly, then dissipated, leaving behind flecks of flame before vanishing entirely.

Pit panted and almost lost his balance as his adrenaline subsided, leaving behind exhaustion. Dark Pit's arm moved quickly to catch him as he nearly fell, but the red-eyed angel merely shoved him back to his feet.

"You okay?" He asked, and Pit nodded.

"I will be," he said. "Just… took a lot out of me. Thanks for coming."

"Couldn't have you dying," the dark angel said with a shrug. "I'd prefer to keep my life, thanks." They both looked up as Magnus and Gaol made their way over to join them. They looked exhausted, battered, and bruised, but they were alive.

"Didn't know there were two of you," Magnus remarked. "But thanks for taking care of that thing."

"So…" Gaol glanced curiously between the two of them. "What's your story?"

"Uh… the short version is that he's my sort-of-reflection," Pit said, scratching his head. "But we're more or less on good terms these days. We're connected somehow, so if something happens to me, he gets finished too."

"I hate it, but it's true," Dark Pit grumbled.

"A… dark Pit, huh?" Magnus almost laughed and shook his head.

"That's what I'm called," he replied.

"Your name's mud when you get back here!" Viridi suddenly yelled. "You completely disobeyed my orders! You are in SO MUCH TROUBLE." Dark Pit only rolled his eyes.

"You're with the Forces of Nature now?" Pit asked.

"Not important right now," the dark angel said. "Hey, Palutena. Status report? Anyone out there?" The goddess of light didn't immediately reply.

"I can't find anyone," she finally admitted. "Between the reapers and the Death Incarnate, this town was desecrated. Magnus and Gaol are the only human survivors." Pit's face fell in shame and sorrow, and this must have been all the answer that the humans needed.

"I'm so sorry, guys," he said. "But… we stopped that thing from spreading. And I promise you as captain of the guard of the goddess of light that I'll find out who's behind this and put a stop to it."

"That's all we can ask, angel," Gaol said before Magnus could snap. "We're alive to fight another day thanks to you, and while this town…" she lowered and shook her head. "We'll stop others from suffering the same fate. But you better end it!"

"I have every intention to," Palutena said. "Pittoo, this will be dangerous. Are you willing to fight with us?"

"No, he is not!" Viridi snapped. "I'm not getting into another stupid war, and the humans are trash that need to be cleaned up anyway! He's under my command, so he won't be doing anything with you."

"Fine," Dark Pit smirked. "I quit." Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Excuse me?!" Viridi demanded. "You can't just quit!"

"Well, I just did," the dark angel said. "You need me a lot more than I need you, Viridi."

"Hey! Without me, you can't fly!"

"I've got the Lightning Chariot," he said with a shrug. "It may not be flight, but it's close enough. I can manage on my own." Pit stared at him.

"Wow," he said. "I mean… I'm supposed to be the chariot's master. But that doesn't really matter right now. You'll fight with us?" Dark Pit nodded.

"I'll help you stop this disgusting soul harvest," he replied. "But don't expect me to get all friendly."

"Then I'd best get you back to Skyworld," Palutena said. "We can regroup and plan out our strategy from there." Pit nodded and looked over to the humans.

"I promise, I'll do everything in my power to bring an end to this," he said. "You two be safe, okay? I'm sure other people will need you."

"Don't get all sappy, Angel Face," Magnus chuckled. "Don't worry about us. Just get it done. Gaol and I will do what we can."

"Better hurry, or we might just catch up with you!" Gaol agreed. "Good luck, Pit." Pit smiled and waved as Palutena's retrieving light enveloped him, his doppelgänger, and the Lightning Chariot, and they were quickly pulled back to Skyworld.


	3. Chapter II: Skyworld

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Palutena had sent Pit, Dark Pit, and the chariot to the open plaza above the temple. The unicorns looked rather unfazed and simply waited for the next command. Pit, meanwhile, knelt down as his goddess approached them, though his doppelgänger only stood there with his arms crossed.

"Welcome back," Palutena said, and she gestured for Pit to rise. He jumped to his feet with a fervor reflecting his anxiousness to get back in the fight.

"Any luck finding the boss?" he asked, and with a crestfallen face, she shook her head.

"Not yet. But now that you've returned safely, I can focus more on the search. But for now, you two had best go tend to your injuries, especially you, Pit. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty worn out, but I'm okay," he said with a smile. "Give me a little food and rest and I'll be raring to go!"

"Speaking of which…" Palutena's gaze briefly flicked to Dark Pit. "Pit, you know the quarters opposite yours in your complex?"

"Yeah, what about it?" he asked.

"I think that's a perfect place for Pittoo to stay, don't you agree?" Dark Pit grimaced, tensing.

"Seriously, ENOUGH with the whole 'Pittoo' thing. It's stupid and demeaning. I don't care what you call me, just not that. No more." Pit blinked and frowned.

"I don't really know what else to call you," he said sheepishly. "Calling you 'Dark Pit' is just awkward for me. You have any ideas?" The question diffused the dark angel if only slightly.

"Not off the top of my head…" he grumbled. Pit tilted his head curiously as he looked at the goddess.

"What about you, Lady Palutena?" She thought about it for a moment, but shook her head.

"Not right now, I'm sorry. But give me a bit and I'll think of something." She smiled at the dark angel. "I promise." He stared at her.

"Okay…" He pinched the bridge of his nose and huffed, his wings extending a bit. "What's the deal here? I very distinctly remember you saying that my very existence is unnatural and I had to be eliminated." He looked up at her rather curtly. "But now, not only have you brought me here to Skyworld, you're treating me just like you would you little puppet here. So are you actually okay with me or am I just useful to you as fighter fodder to be thrown away when you're done with me?" Pit stared at him, ready to leap to Palutena's defense whether it was verbally or physically, but Palutena held her arm out and stopped him. She met Dark Pit's red gaze with her own soft, gentle eyes.

"P- Dark Pit," she began, and she took a breath. "Even that name doesn't suit you anymore. I misjudged you when we first met. But I think you did yourself as well." He arched an eyebrow. "You were openly hostile to everyone around you, and you thought you had to defeat Pit. But you, along with the rest of us, realized that you can't survive without him. And when that came to light, I also realized that you are not just some dark clone of him. You are a part of him, as he is to you."

"Two sides of the same coin…" Pit mumbled. Palutena nodded.

"You act based on what you believe is right," she went on. "You never allied yourself with the Underworld. You came to my rescue. No one made you fight the Chaos Kin, nor did anyone make you travel to the Rewind Spring to save Pit's life. No one made you retrieve him from Hades, and now, you openly deserted from the Forces of Nature without a second thought because you believe in this cause." She smiled. "All of that was your own choice, your own doing, your own beliefs. For all of that, I trust and respect you." He remained stalwart in his stance, but perhaps his gaze softened a slight bit. "You, more than anything, are your own person. Sure," she shrugged, "You have similar tendencies and habits to Pit, but you two aren't exactly alike, nor are you total opposites. You think for yourself and make your own decisions."

"You're more like my brother than my reflection," Pit blurted rather thoughtlessly, and Dark Pit stared at him. For once, there didn't appear to be any hostility in his red eyes, but he did look absolutely bewildered. Palutena, meanwhile, gave a thoughtful nod.

"I believe he's right," she said with a smile. "You two act, bicker, fight, and support each other as if you were brothers." The dark angel glanced up to her, then back to his lighter counterpart. To Pit's relief, his smirk actually looked closer to a smile, and he chuckled as he shook his head.

"I guess we do," he agreed.

"Yeah…" Pit smiled and shrugged. "Anyway, we'd better get you situated. I can show you around and all that, help you get settled. And after that, I'm taking a bath and finding something to eat!" Palutena gave a humorous smile.

"I'll leave you both to that. In the meantime, I'm going to see if I can't uncover any useful information." Pit bowed quickly.

"Let me know if you find anything," he said. "Until then, excuse us." He turned toward his twin, then stopped and glanced over to the unicorns. "Uh…"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that too," Palutena laughed. "Just get some rest, both of you." Pit dipped his head, then turned and headed for the stairs leading into the temple. He beckoned for Dark Pit to follow him, and the dark angel complied.

Pit led the way through the temple with only the sound of their footsteps and rustling wings around him, and the further they went, the more awkward it was. Already a bit nervous about the situation and exhausted from the battle, he was nearly desperate to fill the near silence.

"So…" he said, glancing over to his doppelgänger. "I, uh… I don't think I ever thanked you."

"For what?" Dark Pit asked casually, barely glancing at his counterpart.

"Well…" Pit shrugged. Maybe the silence was less awkward. "For saving my life. Twice." Maybe he imagined it, but he thought he saw something flicker across his twin's face. "Y'know, between my wings and the whole thing with Hades…" He shuddered, preferring to keep the memory of traversing the lord of the Underworld's bowels locked away in the back of his mind. Dark Pit shrugged and smirked at him.

"No you, no me, remember?" He said. "I'd prefer to keep my own skin, thank you. And besides, Palutena and Viridi needed you, and I'd never hear the end of it if I let something happen to you. And I guess I've come to sort of tolerate you."

"Oh, thanks!" Pit snapped back with a grin on his face, and he shoved his dark twin playfully. Dark Pit quickly recovered his balance and gave him a challenging, albeit amused, glare, and the two scrambled and chased each other through the temple like a pair of hooligans. The few patrolling Centurions they passed stared at them, and they may have been concerned for their captain if he wasn't laughing so hard his sides hurt. By the time they reached the temple's main doors, they were both panting, and Pit wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He stepped toward the doors and grabbed the handle of one, then looked back at his dark counterpart who was straightening out his tunic.

"You ready?" Pit wondered, and Dark Pit gave him a somewhat quizzical look as he nodded. Pit grinned and shoved the door open, and both angels were briefly blinded by the bright light that flowed in. Beyond it were the great islets and architecture of Pit's beloved homeland.

"Welcome to Skyworld," he said brightly as the dark angel stepped out of the temple and scanned their surroundings. "Welcome home." Dark Pit took in the sights with a bit more interest than Pit had expected, though the lighter angel could not for the life of him figure out what his counterpart was thinking. He did, however, manage to hear a word he likely wasn't supposed to, given how quietly the dark angel mumbled it.

"Home." Pit decided not to ask about it, and after a moment, Dark Pit shook his head slightly and turned to him. "In case you forgot, neither of us can fly," he said. "How do we get around?"

"Like this!" Pit jumped from the edge of the islet and spread his wings, catching a fantastic updraft that carried him to the next landing. "We may not be able to fly, but we can glide! The updrafts and wind will give you the extra boost you need. Try it!" Dark Pit took a step back, then launched himself forward and glided to the next islet with enough grace to suggest he had been doing it all his life. Pit stepped aside to give him room to land, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"Nice!" He gave an approving nod.

"Anything you can do, I can do better," Dark Pit said, and Pit rolled his eyes.

"Come on, my complex isn't too far from here." He led the way from islet to islet, making their way through the floating landscape that was Skyworld. They passed small shrines, a large plaza where the Centurions often gathered, and bubbling springs with flowers growing near their edges. The setting sun bathed the islets in golden light, making almost everything look like it was glowing. Pit glanced back at his twin to assure he was keeping up well enough, and he couldn't help but notice the fascination, even awe, on Dark Pit's face.

"What's so interesting?" He asked, and Dark Pit's gaze snapped to him. He frowned thoughtfully.

"I've only seen Skyworld once," he reminded the lighter angel. "And that was when it was in shambles." He smirked at Pit's curious face. "Even I can appreciate how this place looks when it's at peace." He shrugged. "I'm glad it's recovered so well." Pit expected some kind of jape or sarcastic remark to follow, but it never came. Evidently his dark counterpart was capable of being sincere, and not just when he was fighting. He figured it would be best to leave the subject alone.

They arrived at a housing complex on a larger islet, and Pit led the way inside. It was a fairly decent place consisting of a long corridor with several doors into each quarter on either side, and at the end was a set of double doors between two spiraling staircases. Naturally, the entire place was made of stone and marble with pillars strategically placed to keep the structure sturdy.

"There's a fairly big hot spring through there," Pit said as he pointed at the doors at the end of the corridor. "I don't tend to use it all that often, though."

"You?" Dark Pit scoffed. "The guy who jumps in without a second thought?"

"A lot of the Centurions who live here like their spa time too," Pit said with a shrug. "So it's usually pretty crowded. Besides, I prefer the open air baths anyway." He made his way to the stairs on the right of the hot spring, and his dark twin followed him up to a landing overlooking the rest of the corridor. Another door waited there, and a matching one stood on the opposite side. Pit opened it and gestured Dark Pit inside, and the dark angel meandered into the rather large chamber.

It was fairly sparse in terms of furnishings, consisting of a bed, a stand next to it, a couple of chairs, and a nearby table with a small fountain on top of it. A skylight above would likely provide plenty of light during the day, and windows overlooking the rest of Skyworld made up most of the opposite wall.

"All yours," Pit said with a smile. "My quarter is on the other side. This one is supposed to go to whoever makes Captain after someone else is promoted to Commander, but…" he snorted. "No luck yet on that front, so it's free for you to use."

"Huh," Dark Pit huffed. "Wait, Commander? So you're not the highest rank?"

"I'm Captain of Lady Palutena's guard," Pit replied. "Well, officially. I do some other stuff with the rest of the army as needed, but that's mostly because the Centurions are…"

"Incompetent?" Dark Pit offered, and Pit grimaced.

"Sure, that's a word for it. Anyway, so I'm the highest ranking officer in Lady Palutena's guard specifically, but not necessarily of the whole army. Skyworld is supposed to have an overall Commander that is essentially second only to Lady Palutena herself."

"Why aren't you in that position?" Dark Pit wondered as he made his way around the room, inspecting his temporary residence.

"Uh…" Pit frowned. "Lady Palutena says I'm not experienced enough for that. I can handle the guard well enough, but the entirety of her army is a different beast. I assume she'll officially promote me when she thinks I'm ready, but I don't think either of us are all that worried about it given the… skill of the soldiers."

"So you just go without any official Commander," Dark Pit surmised, and Pit nodded. "I guess it doesn't matter too much, what with the mostly useless Centurions."

"Pretty much," Pit agreed. "Anyway…" He stretched his arms and wings. "I'm beat. I'm gonna go get some sleep. If you need anything, just let me know." He paused and frowned. "...You good for now?"

"Don't see why not," the dark angel said. "I can take care of myself." Pit nodded again.

"Okay. Then… sleep well, Pittoo-" he stopped short. "Sorry, habit." Dark Pit eyed him. "G'night, Dark Pit." He frowned and groaned. "That's so weird. I really hope we can come up with something else."

"Okay, okay," the dark angel rolled his eyes. "Just get out of here. Get some rest. I don't need you dying out there." Pit smiled and dipped his head, and he waved as he left and closed the door behind him.

Dark Pit sighed and turned to the windows, taking one more look over the islets and the clouds surrounding them as the sun began to sink beneath them. He crossed his arms, his mind wandering to what felt like a hundred places at once. No doubt he'd never hear the end of it from Viridi for his actions, and he wasn't exactly looking forward to Palutena's orders. He appreciated her hospitality, but hoped she wasn't expecting any favors in return.

As his red gaze scanned the landscape, however, he couldn't help but feel a certain draw to it. The sight of Skyworld in all its splendor somehow made him feel at ease, a familiarity he certainly hadn't picked up on his own. He shook his head and decided to blame it on his counterpart, and he turned away from the windows as his dark wings twitched. He pulled off his boots, braces, and tunic, throwing them into a messy pile nearby. He sat down on the side of the bed and removed the laurel crown from his head, and he set it on the bedside stand as he laid down on his side and spread his wings out. There was something about the way the lingering sunlight reflected off the gold leaves of the laurels that oddly captivated him in a way he'd never noticed before.

"Get it together," he huffed at himself, and he adjusted to lay on his front side. It wasn't long before the day's events caught up to him once more, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
